Employment of women is ‘at record levels’, says report

A new report has revealed that 292,000 more women are working in the UK today than were in 2013, bringing the total number of employed females to 14.1 million – the highest ever on record.

The latest Women’s Business Council report says that 67.7 per cent of all adult British women are in work – representing a one per cent increase on the previous year. It found that progress had been made in terms of access to senior and board positions and that a greater number of females had graduated with much-needed STEM qualifications, which bodes well for the future.

However, there is a worry that while the careers of young and senior female staff are being catered for, the raft in the middle could be missing out. Speaking to hrmagazine.com, Heather Jackson of professional women’s group, An Inspirational Journey, said that businesses should be careful not to ignore the “middle pipeline of female talent”.

“The work that has been done to get women into the boardroom is fantastic,” she said, “but there are a whole group of women who are in the middle of their careers that need support if we’re to continue the good work and make sure that the numbers stay strong.”

The point is pertinent given that a second study by 3M, the company behind Post-It Notes, discovered that the majority of women aspire to reach the top of the career ladder by age 34. Two-thirds of respondents admitted to having a clear life plan which included professional goals, hrgrapevine.com reports.